Pioneer Waterland and Dry Fun Park reopened in late May and is ready for the party, according to two of its seven new owners. The…
Pioneer Waterland and Dry Fun Park reopened in late May and is ready for the party, according to two of its seven new owners.
The park was sold at auction in 2014 and has since been undergoing many changes and updates.
After the previous owner passed away, a group of seven Chardon businesspeople purchased the park to keep it open. They have made it their mission to restore it back to an exceptional spot for families to come for summer fun, said David Browne, one of the owners.
Another owner, Dan Sammons, said Pioneer Waterland is being brought back to life.
“We have a lot of plans,” he said.
“The park used to be considered the premier family place to come. It used to be a really cool place out here,” said Browne. “A lot of the maintenance got let go, and it ended up getting a little bit run down, so we want to bring it back to the way it was back in the late ’80s, early ’90s.”
There were a lot of renovations and additions to be made.
“We decided we’d like to add to the dry attractions and one of them was to bring back the arcade,” said Browne, adding the arcade has new games, two pool tables and two air hockey tables.
The partners invested in five new batting cages, hoping Little League teams will come out and have batting practice.
The park also offers swimming lessons in the morning.
“We’ve added cabanas that the family can rent. Mom and Dad can get out of the sun while their kids are in the pool,” Browne said.
The deep end of the two-and-a-half-million gallon swimming pool supplied with water from a nearby artisan spring, has been reopened, and swimmers can enjoy depths greater than eight feet, he said.
Some major attractions have been refurbished, as well. The popular speed slides were refinished, resurfaced, re-gel-coated and painted a vibrant lime green and neon yellow.
“Before, they were full of bolts and rough on the back. We eliminated the bolts,” said Browne. “So now they’re faster than ever and smoother than ever.”
The Lazy River inner tube ride, sand volleyball courts, bathrooms, gift shop and paddleboats also saw positive changes. The concession stand now sells beer and wine. The park is working on reopening the camping area with full water and electric service.
“We’re trying to get the businesses to do company functions and company picnics out here. It’s a great place to have a company picnic, it really is. We have 16 pavilions to rent, and the back couple even come with a beverage service,” Browne said.
“We’d like to see people from Geauga start coming back,” Sammons said.
In addition to the major renovations, new paint in murals and colorful fences brighten up the park.
